Tag Archives: Survey

For nearly 50 years now, Freedom House has published its annual survey of the freest countries in the world. This year’s report contains some troubling news.

First, with an increase in authoritarian regimes and populism, overall freedom in the world declined in the past year.

Second, the United States, after dropping a point in freedom last year, lost another point this year. Where would you rank the U.S. among the freest countries? Number one or two, certainly in the top 10? No, the U.S. is now tied for 45th.

Though we are still rated as “free,” the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction. Burdened by over-regulation, with attacks on our political system from within and without, American democracy is seen as troubled.

Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” When it comes to freedom, we should never be content to say, “we’re number 45.”

Recent articles have marveled at the fascination of today’s “millennials” with socialism, but a new survey shows even more alarming disregard for the capitalist system behind America’s prosperity and power.

Polling data from YouGov showed 51% of Americans in their twenties would prefer to live in a country that was “Socialist” or “Communist”; only 42% chose to live under “Capitalism.” In other words, a majority of young people reject the land of liberty that produced them. An amazing 23% even classified the genocidal dictator Stalin as a “hero.” This reflects the fact that Millennials have scant memory of the bad old days of Marxist tyranny: after all, they were 3 or younger when the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Empire collapsed.

That’s why high school and college history teachers must take time from their relentless attacks on America and its values and give appropriate attention to educating a new generation about the tens of millions of dead or suffering victims of Marxist/Socialist “experiments.”